Mind and Conscience
by Penfreak
Summary: AU, Yaoi. Yami no Bakura has obtained all seven Millennium Items. Now that he is the Pharaoh, the question is where his vulnerabilities lie. Malik and Ryou try to set things right, but the situation is worse than they realised. YB x M, other pairs hinted.
1. Chapter 1

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh is copyright to Kazuki Takahashi.

NOTES: Yaoi - Yami Bakura/Malik, hints of one-sided Ryou/Malik. Somewhat AU-ish. Please note that this was originally written in 2003, and _I have not edited it for this repost_. My apologies to you, oh seekers of goodfic. This version of Mind and Conscience will remain unedited - however, after receiving multiple requests to update it I have decided to take the plot elements and build a new story. I'm not entirely sure why I am reposting this five year old fanfic, but the urge just came over me.

Please excuse the overuse of the word "fuck" - it is rather over the top. The rewrite will not be anywhere near as bad with the pointless profanity abuse.

For the purposes of this story, Domino is considered to be a city within Tokyo prefecture.

* * *

**MIND AND CONSCIENCE  
LOGO AND PENFREAK**

* * *

Ryou Bakura passed through the slums, remaining completely unnoticed and unseen by other people, making his way to one of the stalls on one of the many markets. Since the destruction of Tokyo, the first target of the Pharaoh's rage, the people here had been reduced to living in makeshift buildings made of scrap metal, rotting wood, and crumbling concrete and stone, with only sheets of plastic or corrugated iron keeping out the rain. Any markets around were merely a group of these small living spaces, each with a stall, made of little more than a plank balanced on stacked bricks.

One of these stalls was a simple food stall, and that was where Ryou was headed. It was owned by one of his friends, Katsuya Jounouchi. Food was increasingly difficult to obtain, and Jounouchi was lucky in that he was able to bake bread - despite needing some repairing, the oven was still functional. But it was still hard making a profit, since the ingredients for the bread were also scarce. Travelling outside of the city was the only way to get such things, and with no transport available, it took days at a time, and so they were usually bought at other stalls - at quite a high price.

When Ryou reached the small stall, the pleasant smell of fresh bread reached him, almost blocking out the polluted air. Ryou noticed Anzu Mazaki, another of his friends, selling a small bread roll to a particularly weary-looking customer. He patiently waited for the customer to leave, before approaching her.

"Anzu," he stated, simply. Without even looking to see him, Anzu nodded.

"Go in."

"Thank you."

Ryou walked through the heavy, burned material that hid the area behind the stall from view, where he found Jounouchi and Ryuuji Otogi preparing another batch. "Hi, Jounouchi," he said, calmly. Despite how low his voice was, the two jumped.

"Bakura? Where are you?" the blond demanded. Ryou sighed, and allowed himself to become visible.

"You need to stop doing that, Bakura, you scared the shit out of me!" Otogi commented.

"Sorry."

"So whaddaya doin' here, anyway, Bakura?" Jounouchi asked, shoving the bread tin into the oven. "Make sure that fire doesn't go out, alright, Otogi?" Sitting down on a worn, charred pink cushion on the ground, and motioning for Ryou to do the same, Jounouchi leaned forwards and sighed, quickly removing the white headscarf that prevented his now fairly long hair from getting into the dough.

"Same as always," Ryou replied, accepting Jounouchi's invitation to sit down. "I have nothing else to do, and I'm worried. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Anzu's doin' okay, but even she's starting ta get depressed. At least 'er cheerfulness helps us sell stuff. Otogi's doin' quite well too. He usually gambles for extra cash, with Dungeon Dice Monsters." Dungeon Dice Monsters was a game that Otogi had invented only four years ago. It was the most popular game in the slums, since the true nature of Duel Monsters was revealed. "Nearly always wins, too."

"That barely comes as a surprise," Ryou responded, with a knowing smile. His expression turned serious for a moment. "And Yuugi?"

"Still alive, thank God... Shizuka's lookin' after 'im, there's not enough room in here."

"I'm still looking for a way to restore his soul... Malik and I, I mean."

"Just don' get on the Pharaoh's bad side," Jounouchi advised. "Yer lucky enough to not have been banished yourself."

"I know that, you don't have to remind me every time I come here."

The curtain guarding the entrance was lifted and Anzu entered, carrying the small bag that held the money she had earned.

"We're all out, Jounouchi," the girl said.

"What?!" Otogi exclaimed, from next to the oven. "You must be joking, we only got that out about what? Half an hour ago?"

"People need bread, Otogi, I'm personally not surprised."

"Then we're just gonna hafta wait a couple of hours for the next batch," Jounouchi sighed, leaning forward again and pinching the bridge of his nose. "How much?"

"I think we're going to need about eighty percent of it for more ingredients, and another eighty from the next batch," Anzu replied, sitting down without invitation.

"Right... hey, Bakura you hungry?" Ryou raised an eyebrow at the question. Anzu quickly moved to grip Jounouchi's ear tightly between her fingers, which immediately made him see his mistake.

"That's a STUPID question, Jounouchi!"

"AGH! I'M SORRY! I FORGOT, OKAY?! NOW LET GO!"

"It's alright, I suppose it's easy enough to forget that I can't... touch anything..." Ryou said, shaking his head. Anzu released Jounouchi's ear, and he held his hand up to it, trying to ease the pain.

"Yeah, it is," Jounouchi acknowledged, glancing sideways at Anzu. Ryou had been banished from his body by the spirit of the Millennium Ring, and was now left in a spirit form, wandering around. He didn't even honestly know why he hadn't been banished to the Shadow Realm, but he suspected it was so that his Yami could derive some sadistic pleasure from his suffering.

"Understandable," Ryou concluded, with a finalising tone. "Now, remind me, how many people is Shizuka taking care of? I'm worried the number may have increased, but I'm never sure anymore. I can't pry into my yami's mind."

"It has," was Jounouchi's response. "Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but Kaiba's soul got banished an' all. We found 'im near where KaibaCorp used to be. Mokuba keeps tryin' to wake him, poor guy... he's started to go a bit nutso. The stress got to his head. Shizuka's lookin' after him too... he hasn't got the sanity to feed himself anymore, all he will even think about is his brother..."

Ryou did nothing more than nod in response.

"Other 'n Kaiba, there's just Yuugi an' Isis."

"What happened to Honda?" Ryou wondered. Jounouchi bit his lip, clearly reluctant to say it.

"He got into a fight with Malik..." Anzu supplied. "He didn't survive."

"Yeah, that bastard!" Jounouchi shouted, making even Ryou jump. "He says 'e's on our side and what does he do? He goes and fuckin' kills us!"

Ryou contemplated this piece of news. "Malik killed Honda?"

"You bet he fuckin' did!"

"I'm sure he has reasons," Ryou sighed. "I'll have to talk to him about it."

"The Hell? Bakura, the guy killed one of your BEST FRIENDS!"

"Honda and I were never that close," Ryou responed, a cold edge in his voice that was never usually present. "Malik never does anything without a motive. Sure, he might overreact, and his actions might be impulsive, and half the time seriously - "

"Fucked up," Jounouchi interrupted.

"Twisted," Ryou continued, ignoring Jounouchi, "but with his background, what do you expect?"

"What is it with you, Bakura? You always try to excuse Malik for EVERYTHING he does!"

Ryou didn't respond, but prodded a stone on the ground, seemingly amused by the way his finger sank into it as though either the stone or he was made of nothingness.

"He's my friend," he eventually replied.

"Yeah, well, Bakura, sometimes I wonder about your choice in friends!" Jounouchi yelled. Ryou, hating being yelled at, was now visibly shaking. "I mean, he possessed me to destroy Yuugi at one point! Ever since we met him, he tried to kill us, and just 'cause that psychotic Yami of his is banished doesn't necessarily mean we can TRUST 'im!"

"But he's helping..." Ryou replied, his voice trembling.

"He's WORKING with the PHARAOH!" Jounouchi shouted, even louder, rising to his feet. Ryou remained sitting. "How the HELL is him killing on the Pharaoh's orders supposed to HELP us?"

"He... he... he's staying close to him... it's the only way he can, you know, find out that... anything that can help Yuugi..."

"Oh, so NOW you're trying to tell me, after ALL the times he's tried to kill Yuugi, he's trying to save him?"

"You're not the only one who's suffered a loss!" Ryou yelled, still remaining sitting on the floor. "Rishid's been killed, and Isis' soul was banished to the Shadow Realm! How do you think HE feels? At least you still have friends to support you! All Malik has is me and... and..."

"The Pharaoh?" Otogi suggested, completing the sentence.

"The Pharaoh," Ryou conceded. "But my yami, well, he... nobody does anything without a motive... and I WILL find out what his is..."

"You're too good hearted, Bakura," Jounouchi snorted. "You ask me, I wouldn't hesitate to kill either of them the first chance I got."

"My yami is immortal, you can't kill him."

"Maybe not, but I sure as hell can hurt 'im!"

"Guys, please, calm down!" Anzu cried. "We're in a terrible situation, and fighting's not going to help! I know you're probably sick of hearing it, I've said it so much since our city was destroyed, but we really need to keep a hold on our friendship. It's just about the only thing we have left!"

"It's alright, Anzu," Ryou responded, getting to his feet with little difficulty. "I think I'll leave now, anyway."

"Oh, Bakura, you're not leaving because of Jounouchi, are you?"

"No, of course not... well, okay, partially..." Ryou shook his head. "I mean, Jounouchi, I'll give you some time to settle down. You've got a lot to deal with, and I don't want you to get too stressed." Jounouchi snorted, clearly still angry at Ryou. "I'll be visiting Shizuka," Ryou added.

"Fine."

"Alright then," Anzu said, nodding at Ryou. "Seeya then, Bakura..."

"Bye!" Otogi called. Ryou smiled, and left the tiny dwelling, straight through the heavy, charred curtain, again becoming invisible to the naked eye.

* * *

What the people referred to as the Dark Palace was not an impressive place. It existed merely to serve as a home to the Pharaoh. It was a large building, although it had once been several times larger, but it was crumbling to pieces, and could hardly be considered an architectural masterpiece. It had once been part of the KaibaCorp headquarters, but now KaibaCorp no longer existed.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" Yami no Bakura screeched, kicking an already collasing statuette so hard it flew into the wall, shattering into pieces. The slave was trembling with fear, but stood his ground. To retreat from Bakura meant death. "Where is Malik?"

"I - I don't know, your Lordship, sir, I..." the slave stammered, unconsciously taking a step back. Fortunately for him, Bakura was too distracted to notice.

"If Malik has gone out WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, I will personally..."

"What's all the yelling about?"

Bakura whirled around to see Malik Ishtar stood in the doorway. "Where the fuck have you been?!" he demanded.

"I was..."

"Why are you trying to explain yourself to me?"

"Uh, you just asked me..." Malik replied, under his breath.

"I don't care about your stupid excuses, just get out of my sight!" Malik didn't question, but left the room as commanded, his purple cloak flowing behind him as though he was constantly walking against a breeze of wind.

Yami no Bakura was the Pharaoh, and the possessor of all the seven Millennium Items. Having banished Yuugi Motou and his other self to the Shadow Realm, he was free to control the world as he pleased. He craved destruction, and loved nothing more than to cause fear among the people on this planet. Nearly everyone now knew he could destroy anyone he wished with merely a thought. His very presence was feared - the reason Ryou was so cautious to hide himself, due to the similarity in their appearance.

For Yami no Bakura was not of this time. His origins went back to Ancient Egypt, where he had lived as a tomb robber. Little was known about his past other than that he would not reveal it. But it was known that he had once raided the tomb of the current Pharaoh's father, and dragged the mummy by a rope tied around his neck into the High Court, in front of the Pharaoh himself. It was also known that some time later he was killed, and his soul sealed into the Millennium Ring.

And three thousand years later, this ancient powerful item found itself in the hands of a young boy - a young boy who the spirit was able to control at will. And now, the spirit had Ryou's body. The spirit of the true Ryou had been banished from his own body.

Malik would always think about Yami no Bakura. When the spirit rose to power, Malik was at his side. He still was - but he was trying to help him. It had nothing to do with power. He was worried about him.

Although he himself would never admit it, Bakura dwelled on the past. Malik wished he knew what had happened. He knew from personal experience that nobody was born evil - it developed itself from a seed of negative emotion. That's what intrigued him so much about the Pharaoh - his own great curiosity as to what had happened to Bakura long ago in Ancient Egypt.

But even when the two of them would roll around in bed, in a breathless mess of sheets, tangled bodies, and their own bodily fluids, Malik could never bring the courage to ask. From what he had deduced, Bakura only wanted to use him for his own pleasure. He would never go to the modern Egyptian for help, or even just friendly advice. He somehow doubted that Bakura even considered him as a friend. At the first sign of Malik turning against him, he would destroy him. And then Malik would never be able to restore the banished soul of his sister, Isis.

Malik looked up as a recognisable, yet almost transparent figure came running towards him without his feet even touching the ground. "Ryou?" he greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here"

"I need to talk with you," Ryou replied, looking quite serious.

"We can talk here. Bakura's having a bit of a temper tantrum for some still unknown reason."

Ryou nodded.

"But first, I'd appreciate it if you came down to MY ground level, it's a little unnerving." Ryou rolled his eyes and did so - since he'd been banished from his body only to remain in spirit form, he had been left to decide where his own ground level was, and he was often too distracted to notice. "Thanks. So what was it"

"You killed Honda," Ryou stated flatly. Malik looked slightly taken aback, clearly surprised that Ryou had found out.

"Yes. I did."

"Why?" Ryou asked, in a forcefully calm tone.

"I can't tell you," Malik replied, staring at the ground.

"Why?" Ryou repeated.

"I'm sorry, Ryou, I can't say"

"WHY?" Ryou repeated again, this time his tone getting more desperate. "WHY, Malik? WHY DID YOU KILL HONDA?!" Forgetting his own disability, Ryou grabbed at Malik's shoulders, clearly wanting to shake the life out of him. His hands merely sunk in and clasped into fists, as Malik shivered from the strange, cold feeling that overcame him. "You can't just go and kill the people you're supposed to be helping, Malik! Why did you do it? TELL ME"

"I'm SORRY, Ryou, I'm SORRY, I'll tell you, but PLEASE get your hands out of my shoulders!" Ryou obeyed, but still stood close to him, backing him against the wall although Malik knew very well that he could just walk through the boy. It was not easy to get Ryou angry, but in much the same way as he did when his friends were in danger, he seemed to change. He was no longer the meek, well-mannered boy who stayed in the background, but a determined and powerful individual able to intimidate even the bravest of people. Including Malik.

"Then tell me," he seethed.

"I... I was ordered to... I was ordered to destroy one of Yuugi's group and... and if I didn't then I'd lose every chance I got at geting Isis back, and I... I'm sorry Ryou, I know I was selfish, but you have to understand! I mean, I..." Malik resisted the strong urge to say 'what's one more among millions?' because that would only make matters worse.

"Just sorry doesn't cut it, Malik, you killed one of my friends!" Ryou couldn't hide the quavering in his voice. Malik could tell he was near tears.

"Anyway," he muttered, not meaning for Ryou to hear. "Death is better than this shit hole..."

But Ryou heard perfectly. "You think so? So why Honda, then?" He was unable to keep the bitterness from his tone.

"I... he... well, he's not, he's not... he..." Malik swallowed. "You're not gonna like it..." he warned.

"Try me."

"Well... he wasn't really that essential to the group, was he?" He made a flustered hand gesture, trying to prevent Ryou from commenting. "I mean, Jounouchi, and Anzu, and Otogi, they're needed to get money and food, and Shizuka, she needs to look after the ones who got their souls banished by Bakura and... I'm sorry! But at least he's somewhere better than this, at LEAST!"

"If death is such a blessing, why do you fear it?" Ryou wanted to know, after a moment of contemplation.

"Because if I'm gone, who'll bring back Isis?"

Ryou stepped back from Malik. "So you're saying, if you can bring back your sister, you'll just kill yourself?"

"If life is still this unbearable."

"Would you kill Isis too?"

"NO! Of course not! It's her choice whether she lives or dies!"

"And yet it wasn't Honda's choice whether he lived or not... I'm going for a while, Malik, I need to think."

"Yeah, you do that," Malik said in a half whisper to himself, as Ryou chose to use what was slowly becoming a trademark exit - sinking through the floor. "I'm sorry, Ryou, I didn't mean..."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE, ISHTAR?!" a familiar voice demanded. Malik winced at the sound of it.

"Nothing, Bakura, sir..."

"Well, isn't THAT appropriate. I'm bored half to death, get off your ass before I have to drag you!" With that remark, Bakura turned and stalked away.

Malik knew precisely what the Pharaoh wanted. He used to look forward to this task, and thoroughly enjoy it, but it was becoming more tedious. True, Bakura never hurt him as much as his father once had, inscribing the secret of the Pharaoh's memory onto his back, and carving in the lines that accentuated his cheekbones, but the whippings and the cuts were starting to become unbearable. In bed, Bakura may have become a completely different person, but he still liked to cause pain - even if the pain was to cause pleasure to the receiver.

Reluctantly, especially after the intense fight with Ryou, Malik rose to his feet and followed Bakura's path to his bedroom, knowing full well what would await him.

* * *

**END OF PART 1**

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

NOTES: The 'yaoi action' isn't exactly MA material (and good thing too), but this is still the most "questionable" thing I have written. Most of what I write these days is gen, so reading this is just weird! And slightly embarrassing. I'll just blame Logo.

Also, don't mind Mokuba. He's just crazy, that's all.

* * *

**MIND AND CONSCIENCE  
LOGO AND PENFREAK**

* * *

Malik Ishtar was pretty much a slave to the Pharaoh. As much as he wanted to deny it, that was what he was. Yami no Bakura could order him around as he pleased, and Malik would always obey.

But Malik knew he was no ordinary slave. The ordinary slaves acted out of fear. He acted out of love - and as far as he knew, the Pharaoh was most likely aware of this.

Which was why he was able to get Malik into bed so easily, for his personal pleasure. And yet Malik knew he was just another slave. Worthless. Every minute of the time they spent together, with Bakura sheathed deep inside Malik, thrusting so hard the boy would bleed... it meant nothing. It just showed how submissive Malik was to his own emotions.

Bakura would seem to force himself onto the modern Egyptian, although admittedly Malik would welcome it. He delighted in the abuse Bakura pushed on him. It would never be enough to really hurt him, but enough to cause him some kind of masochistic pleasure which he loved almost as much as Bakura himself. Bakura would whip him, scratch him, bite him, but Malik always wanted more.

Yet it was strange, Malik thought, that he would never do this with any other slave. Bakura craved feeling a surge of power over an individual. Surely then, he would prefer to use a slave who wasn't willing to do his bidding? Clearly, either Bakura had some warmth in his cold heart, or he truly trusted Malik.

Malik considered all of this after being awoken by the sleeping Pharaoh nuzzling his shoulder. For a while he didn't move, but then he sat up. His movement didn't wake Bakura, much to his amazement, and he looked down at the spirit, feeling a pang of sympathy. He didn't know what had happened to him, but he sensed that Bakura had not had an easy life. His mind suffered greatly from dwelling too much on the past. He'd even tried to make himself look the way he once had. He had recently inexpertly sliced into the skin beneath his right eye in an attempt to recreate the scar he had, leaving nothing but a few very thin scabs backed by pink, inflamed skin. His hair had been messily cut so that it was just above shoulder length.

When he was awake, Bakura was a fearsome, destructive and inescapable tyrant. But when he was asleep, he became innocent, pitiful, and even vulnerable.

Malik sat watching the rise and fall of the Pharaoh's chest, and he felt certain that Bakura trusted him. Bakura trusted him not to hurt him, and he trusted him not to steal from him. But Malik knew he had to break that trust if he wanted to help Bakura...

Feeling sick from the guilt of knowing that he had to betray the one he loved, Malik leaned over, and kissed the sleeping Pharaoh's forehead, before clambering out of bed and dressing himself. He often left the room before Bakura woke up, and the Pharaoh had come to expect it. Malik pulled on his black trousers and high collared sleeveless jacket, before pulling his long, purple cloak over his shoulders. He took a quick glance about the room with his lavender eyes, before seeing what he wanted.

The Millennium Tauk was around the neck of a statue. It was the Millennium Item Bakura never put to use, and Malik had noticed Bakura was so convinced of its safety he had never checked to see if it remained in his possession.

Malik unhooked the golden chain of the Tauk from around the statue's neck, and put it around his own. It was hidden well by the high collar of his jacket. If a glint of gold was caught by the sun, it would be assumed to be from the jewellery he always wore around his neck, arms and wrists.

The Egyptian made to leave, before a moaning sound distracted him. Bakura sat up, blinking blearily as the sunlight from the uncurtained window fell upon his face.

"Malik? Where are you going?" His voice lacked the usual sharp, psychotically lilting tone that most people were used to, although his partner knew it would soon return.

"I'm heading into the city, sir," Malik replied, honestly.

"What for?" Bakura asked. No emotion was visible on his face, not even curiosity.

"I just want to walk, Pharaoh, sir," Malik responded. "You're welcome to join me." He hoped that this would throw off any further questions. It was rare for Bakura to agree to walk among the 'pathetic mortals', unless he had some scheme to cause them more terror.

"No, Ishtar, I want you to stay in this building," Bakura snapped, the peacefulness wearing off as quickly as Malik expected it to. "No objections."

"Very well, sir. May I leave the room?"

"You'd better."

Malik left the room feeling slightly discouraged, but knowing that if he obeyed Bakura now, the more likely he would be allowed to head into the slums later. He just hoped that Bakura wouldn't catch him with the Tauk about his neck.

* * *

"Hi Shizuka," Ryou said, feeling slightly amused that she didn't jump like most people did.

"Nice to see you, Bakura," Shizuka said calmly. "You're here rather early."

"I thought you'd be asleep anyway," Ryou commented. "I was only here to see if everyone was okay." He gestured towards the makeshift beds that lay across the room.

This place, the closest place the slums had to a hospital, was the basement of one of the destroyed buildings - specifically, the Game Shop that once belonged to Yuugi Motou's grandfather.

The rubble that had once covered it had been cleared out, and used for the shelters. Now, the basement was home to Shizuka, who took care of those who had their souls banished by the Pharaoh, and those who were injured and unable to find a shelter of any sort.

Mattresses that had been scavenged from the rubble lay in organised rows. There were no pillows left. Nearly all of these mattresses were occupied.

Three people, Ryou knew. Yuugi Motou, former carrier of the Millennium Puzzle. Isis Ishtar, former carrier of the Millennium Tauk and sister of Malik. Seto Kaiba, reincarnation of an Ancient Egyptian priest.

The others Ryou did not know, nor did he feel the need to find out who they were. He knew, however, that several of them were badly injured, for Shizuka had walked to the middle of the room to tend to the heavily bleeding arm of a child not more than seven years of age, with the attitude of one who had done this many times before.

Since he wanted to speak with the girl, he decided to wait for her to return. But until then, he would wait patiently.

He turned around when he heard a gentle, dreamy humming from behind him.

"Mokuba...?"

The boy, who now looked to be around sixteen, looked up into Ryou's eyes from his position, sat on a stony ledge. He said nothing to him, but continued his humming as if in a trance. His eyes were unfocused, his messy black hair falling over them, almost completely obscuring them from view. There was a wide horizontal gash beneath his left eye, which was clearly still healing, yet Mokuba didn't appear to acknowledge any pain.

Ryou was slightly taken aback. He had known the younger Kaiba brother was here, but he hadn't expected to see him in this condition. When Jounouchi had briefly described Mokuba's condition, he had immediately assumed it was more due to depression than anything else.

But Mokuba appeared quite happy on the outside, as if refusing to accept anything that had happened. It was as though he believed it to be a dream.

"Your feet aren't touching the floor," Mokuba stated, his voice retaining that dream-like, distant quality as it had when he had been humming. Ryou looked down and noticed that Mokuba was correct, although he hadn't noticed the boy looking. He corrected his position dutifully.

Mokuba lowered his head, hiding his eyes from view. "They're still not touching the floor..."

Ryou frowned. He knew, this time, he was on the right ground level. He was about to say so when Mokuba prevented him.

"You can't touch the floor, can you?" Mokuba looked up again. "Isn't that right, big brother?"

Ryou took a shocked step back, taking no notice of the way his foot sank into the ground. "Big brother?" he repeated, looking stunned.

Mokuba took no notice. "I knew, I knew you'd come back to protect me, even if you can't wake up in your body, I knew you'd come back, Seto."

"No, Mokuba, I'm not your brother," Ryou informed the boy, in a forcibly calm tone which contradicted the shock and surprise that was apparent from his tense muscles and widened eyes. "I'm Bakura! You know, Ryou Bakura...?"

"Well, if you're not my brother, then my brother must have sent you to protect me!" Mokuba stated. Even though his voice still sounded gentle and distant, the tone was confident. He didn't doubt his words. "You don't really look like my brother anyway..."

Feeling somewhat relieved, Ryou sighed, and looked to see where Shizuka was.

"Ryou...?"

"Please, Mokuba, call me Bakura," Ryou told him, not even glancing at him.

"But you're my angel, the angel my brother sent, let me call you Ryou. It sounds as beautiful as you..."

Ignoring the compliment, Ryou turned his head to look at Mokuba, unable to resist feeling slightly sorry for him. He had gone through a lot, after all... he'd lost his home, and his brother - the only things he really had left. Nearly all the friends he had must surely have been killed. Why not allow the boy to call him by his first name?

"All right, Mokuba. You can call me Ryou..."

A smile spread across Mokuba's face - the sort of smile you see when one temporarily overcomes their sadness. The sort that would make anyone's heart melt. It made Ryou long to gather the boy into his arms and protect him from all that was wrong in the world - to make everything all right again.

"So, Bakura, what did you want?" Shizuka questioned, returning and dropping a torn, bloody bandage into the mouldy cardboard box that currently served as a rubbish bin.

Momentarily distracted from Mokuba, Ryou sat cross-legged on a non-existent cushion in the air. "I wanted to talk to you about... you know..." he gestured towards Yuugi.

"I see," Shizuka responded, knowing immediately that he meant all three of those whose souls had been banished. "Like I've said before, Bakura, there's nothing to do. There's no way to help them, unless you can pull something with the Millennium Items." She shook her head sadly. "Have you made any progress...?"

Ryou sighed. "Malik said he was trying something but... to be honest, I don't think I can trust him anymore. I don't think he can bring himself to turn against my yami... he really cares about him, you know?"

"I could never understand why," Shizuka commented, lightly. She picked up a clean bandage and walked across the room to a man in his late twenties. Ryou took this to mean she didn't want to talk about it - after all, she and Honda had been in a relationship, and were exceptionally close.

Deciding now would be an appropriate time to leave, Ryou left his imaginary cushion and walked over to Shizuka.

"Bakura, I'm a little busy," Shizuka said. The man's eyes widened at the sight of Ryou, but said nothing about it. Ryou's occasional appearance in this shelter was becoming expected, and despite the similarity in appearance, most in here knew that he was not the Pharaoh they feared.

"I just wanted to say I'm leaving now, alright?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye," Ryou said, walking back across the shelter to the entrance. He was just about to leave when Mokuba spoke up.

"You're not leaving me so soon, are you Ryou?" the boy asked, sadly. "Let me come with you?"

"Mokuba... I think it would be best if you stayed here."

"I don't want to," Mokuba said, simply. "You're here to protect me and to find a way to wake my brother up. I want to help too."

"No, Mokuba, stay here." The boy had a stubborn expression remaining on his face. Sighing, Ryou reduced his visibility, so that the boy wouldn't follow him. He was slightly surprised when Mokuba didn't comment. "Bye, Mokuba." He left the room quietly.

Shizuka looked back across the room, noticing that Ryou had left. She had the strange feeling something else was missing, but she ignored it.

"I should have told him..." she murmured. She laid her hand on her stomach, gently. "I'm sorry, Hiroto..."

* * *

Bakura stormed into the room, clearly angry about something. Malik, who was sat on a collapsing sofa, looked up nervously, fearing that the Pharaoh might have discovered the theft.

"Ishtar!" Bakura yelled. "Get out of here! I don't want to see your face!"

"Why not?" Malik asked, confused.

"Don't ask questions, out! OUT!"

Taking this to mean Bakura wanted him out of the building altogether, Malik left, nervously, resisting the urge to lift his hand up to the stolen Tauk around his neck.

"AND THE REST OF YOU CAN GET OUT TOO!" Bakura screeched, at the few slaves that had been in the room. They immediately scuttled out of the room, racing down the corridor, eager to get as far away from the Pharaoh as they could. Malik avoided this rush, and walked in the opposite direction, making it his intention to get into the slums and give the Tauk to Jounouchi.

Yami no Bakura paced around the room, muttering to himself. "Stupid fucking bastard, how DARE he steal from me? I should fucking KILL him! He thought I wouldn't notice? But what in the name of Ra could he do with the Tauk? It's not like it's USEFUL or anything! But why the fuck did he take it? I'll kill him, I'll fucking KILL him! I should've killed him right there! Damn it!"

* * *

**END OF PART 2**

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

NOTES: ...iunno. Violence is fun?

* * *

**MIND AND CONSCIENCE  
LOGO AND PENFREAK**

* * *

The slums were always quiet this early in the morning, even in the market area. The few people who were awake set up their stalls quietly, some of them making conversation with their friends and partners.

The boy who appeared to be walking alone, staring into the empty space ahead of him with a look of fascination on his face, attracted some attention from the stall owners, but they looked away after their brief moment of curiosity, clearly feeling their own lives were more important.

Other than these curious glances, Mokuba went almost unnoticed, even when he stopped suddenly at the corner, still staring into nothingness.

"How can you follow me?" a voice hissed, quiet enough so that only Mokuba would hear. "You can't even see me, can you?"

Mokuba shook his head. "I can't see you, no."

"Then how can you be following me?" Ryou demanded.

The boy averted his gaze, staring at his feet dejectedly. "You're cold."

Ryou knew this. Whenever he attempted to touch someone, they would often shiver, or comment that they felt an icy chill, but he didn't see why this would help Mokuba follow him. "And...?" he prompted, barely keeping the impatience from his tone.

"You make the air around you go cold too..."

Ryou took an unseen step back, surprised. He'd never heard of that. He was under the impression that he had no effect on the environment at all.

"I guess most people don't feel it because they don't look for it," Mokuba added, before Ryou could respond.

Ryou thought about this for a moment. He had to admit that the boy was probably right. People had enough problems trying to survive. They weren't likely to be concerned with a chilled air that was most likely just a slight breeze. But he still didn't understand how he could make the air around him chill. He supposed it was one of those things that just happened without explanation.

After a brief period of silence, Ryou realised how quiet it seemed to be, other than the sounds of the stall owners and distant shouting. The silence was unnerving, seeming to beg a response from Ryou, but he didn't know what to say to the boy facing him. "I suppose so," he eventually said, vaguely wondering if Mokuba's mind had drifted away from the conversation they had been having.

Now with a happy, dreamy smile on his face, Mokuba looked up again. Unable to actually see Ryou, he stared a little above his head, overestimating his height. Ryou felt a little uncomfortable as he realised that the empty space he was staring into was where his face would be had he been the boy's brother.

"Are you going to see Jounouchi?" Mokuba asked, seeming to realise how close they were to the blond's home. "My brother liked Jounouchi. He wouldn't admit it but I could tell. I guess he didn't want to get attached in case he forgot about me, so he always teased him..."

"Right..." Ryou murmured, feeling as if Mokuba had just told him some big secret he really should not know. "Yes, I'm going to visit Jounouchi."

"Seto used to say that Jounouchi was a worthless mongrel," Mokuba continued. "But to himself he'd say how much he admired him and how loyal he was..."

Ryou turned around and continued his way to Jounouchi's home. Mokuba followed him, still talking about his brother.

"He wished he were like Jounouchi, and dedicate his time to me, but he thought it was too late, because he had KaibaCorp to run... but he didn't realise it didn't matter, he was great, he was the best brother..."

"I'll bet he was," Ryou said, feeling obliged to respond to the boy. Truthfully, he wasn't so sure of his reply. He didn't know Seto Kaiba particularly well. In fact, he couldn't recall ever having spoken to him, although they had definitely met - they had been in the same class at school, and he had seen him in Duelist Kingdom.

Realising that the shouting he had heard was became clearer as he grew closer to his destination, Ryou frowned. It sounded like Jounouchi.

Mokuba had paused in his dreamy rambling about his brother, seeming to sense that Ryou was listening for something. "Who's shouting?" he asked.

"We'll find out..." Ryou replied, before deciding that running would be the fastest way to find out. He ran off, leaving Mokuba to follow him at a slower pace.

* * *

Receiving yet another a fierce blow across his face, Malik fell to the ground, using his shaking arms to support himself and try to push himself back up.

Jounouchi was seething. "You're just lucky I haven't killed you!" he snarled. "Especially after what you did! What possessed you to come back here?!"

Refusing to reply, Malik stood up, trying to control his shaking. Bruises were already beginning to show on the side of his face where Jounouchi had hit him repeatedly.

"I WOULD kill you, but that would be sinking down to your level, wouldn't it?" Jounouchi sneered, in an attempt at gaining a response.

"Jounouchi, stop it," Otogi said, in a warning tone of voice. Anzu had already gone back through the curtain, knowing that Jounouchi would not be easily deterred.

"I can tell you don't mean that," Malik sniffed, before being tackled to the ground by Jounouchi again, with another bruising blow connecting to his aching jaw.

"Fuck you!" Jounouchi spat, pinning Malik to the ground and striking his jaw again, as if he wanted nothing more than to shatter the bone beyond repair. "You deserve what you get, and you and everyone else knows it, you little bastard!"

"Jounouchi, I think that's enough now," came a calm voice. "As attractive as turning his whole body into a bruise may seem to you, it's not going to help."

"Ryou," Malik breathed. Reluctantly, Jounouchi stepped back and allowed Malik to move, looking at the partially visible spirit and the boy stood just behind him.

"Bakura, what the hell are you doing here?" Jounouchi demanded, completely ignoring Mokuba. "Did you ask this bastard to come here and apologise? I don't care what you say about him, he's nothing but a..."

"Be quiet, Jounouchi," Ryou sighed, allowing himself to become completely visible and stepping over to Malik, who, although he had moved into a sitting position, was still on the ground. "You assume far too much. Malik, why on Earth did you come here? You know they don't like you."

"Don't like?" Jounouchi snorted. "More like detest! You're like a disease or something. You come, you kill, you leave and come back again later! You're a walking disaster!"

"Jounouchi... quiet." Ryou said, impatiently. "Malik?"

"I came to give you something," Malik replied, glaring at Jounouchi. "But to be honest, I'm not sure whether I should give it to you or not."

"And... what is it?" Otogi asked.

"I... hold on." Malik reached behind his neck, and attempted to unclasp his gift. However, his hands were shaking violently, and he found himself unable to take it off. "Damn! I can't get it!" he complained.

Mokuba, who had up until now been humming gently, seemed to snap out of his happy daydream and approached Malik. "You have something around your neck," he said, distantly, and pushed away Malik's hands to unclasp the object himself.

"Isn't that Mokuba?" Otogi asked. Jounouchi just nodded in reply.

Mokuba looked curiously at the golden object he now held. "It's a necklace," he stated. "It looks strange." He paused for a moment, before adding, "I've seen it before."

"The Millennium Tauk!" Ryou gasped, as he got a clearer view of it. "You stole it?"

Malik nodded, the shaking from the shock of the blows he had received slowly becoming less severe. The bruises, however, were becoming clearer, and his cheek had swollen to a point where speaking was difficult.

Jounouchi stared at the Tauk for a moment, before speaking. "I don't care if he DID steal one of the Items! He STILL killed Honda!"

He made as if to throw another punch at Malik, who immediately lifted his arms to shield his face. Jounouchi smirked with some sense of satisfaction. "Scared, Ishtar? GOOD!"

"I didn't want to kill anyone, I did it because I HAD to!" Malik responded, his voice trembling. He knew it was a feeble excuse, but he had already been on the receiving end of a vicious attack from Jounouchi. He didn't want to go through it again.

"Oh, you HAD to, did you? You didn't have to kill ANYONE!" Jounouchi yelled, dropping his fists. Somehow sensing he wasn't going to be hit again, Malik lowered his arms slightly.

"Most people here want to die," Mokuba said, softly, still looking dreamily at the Tauk, although his attention appeared to be elsewhere. "They always do, in the end."

Jounouchi and Otogi stared at Mokuba, bewildered by this statement. It was a fact they knew well, but it was extremely unusual to hear the thought spoken aloud. Mokuba, however, didn't notice the attention he was receiving, and continued.

"But they won't kill themselves because they don't want to hurt anyone they love. Seto loves me. That's why he's not dead, he didn't want to leave me behind. He's just gone for a little while. He sent me an angel to protect me." He smiled happily.

"An angel...?" Jounouchi repeated, in confusion.

"He means me..." Ryou sighed. "I went to see Shizuka earlier. Mokuba somehow thinks Kaiba wants me to protect him..."

With some degree of difficulty, Malik stood up, wavering slightly and lifting his hand to his forehead as if to fight off a wave of dizziness. "Sounds to me like he's a little deluded," he commented.

"Who asked for YOUR opinion?!" Jounouchi demanded, angrily, raising his fists.

"Jounouchi, that's ENOUGH!" Otogi snapped. "He deserves it, and he deserves it like hell, but now's not the time! He's at least made SOME effort against the Pharaoh!"

Jounouchi glared at Malik for a moment, but reluctantly lowered his fists. "Think yourself lucky, bastard," he snarled.

"I..." Malik began, uncertainly.

"So many people were left behind," Mokuba commented, absently. Despite the soft, quiet tone, he attracted immediate attention from everyone. "Poor Rei..."

"Rei?" Ryou asked, gently. "Was she a friend of yours?"

Mokuba stared at the Tauk with an air of distant thoughtfulness. "Honda left her behind..."

"Hold up a second, Mokuba," Jounouchi interrupted. "Who the hell is Rei? What do you mean by 'Honda left her behind'?!"

Mokuba didn't reply. He didn't even appear to acknowledge that Jounouchi had even spoken at all. Instead, after staring at the Tauk for a few moments, he put the golden Item around his neck and touched the eye symbol gently.

"Mokuba! Who is Rei?" Jounouchi demanded, impatiently. Mokuba looked at him as if he had only just noticed his presence.

"Rei? You don't know her?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"No! I DON'T know Rei!" was Jounouchi's response.

"Honda's daughter..." Mokuba murmured, gazing calmly at the stone by Jounouchi's feet.

A moment of stunned, confused silence followed.

Only Malik seemed to understand, a slight smile of comprehension crossing his bruised face.

"His WHAT?!" Jounouchi finally yelled. "Honda had a daughter, and I didn't KNOW?!" He turned to Malik. "What the fuck are YOU smirking about, Ishtar? You killed Honda when he had a KID to look after!"

Malik took a step back, ready to bolt if Jounouchi attempted to attack him again, the smile disappearing as fast as it came.

"Calm down, Jounouchi!" he cried, anxiously. "I didn't know!"

"Even if you DIDN'T know it's no excuse...!"

"Jounouchi, calm down... I don't think that's what he's smiling about," Ryou said, realising what was happening. He gestured towards Mokuba, who was once again humming in an other-worldly manner. "What has Mokuba got around his neck?"

"The necklace thing?" Jounouchi replied, confused.

"The Tauk!" Malik corrected. "And the Tauk tells the future!"

Realisation dawned on Jounouchi's face. "Mokuba can see the future?"

"It looks like it," Malik replied. "But I don't know why, an Item isn't supposed to respond to someone who's not destined for it..."

"Well, maybe it's destined for him," Jounouchi snapped, making Malik flinch uncomfortably. "So he can tell us if we ever manage to get rid of that Pharaoh... hey, Mokuba!"

"Yes?" Mokuba responded, lifting his head up to look at Jounouchi.

"Can you tell us if we ever get out of here?" the blond asked. Ryou groaned despairingly at Jounouchi's lack of tact - in his state of mind, Mokuba was unlikely to have even noticed that the Tauk had magic.

For a moment, Mokuba stared at Jounouchi with his unfocussed eyes, before once again turning his gaze to the ground. "Isn't that your choice?" he asked.

"What kind of answer is that?!" Jounouchi demanded, losing patience.

"Jounouchi!" Otogi snapped. "Settle down, Mokuba hasn't done anything wrong!"

"I don't think Mokuba knows about the Tauk's powers," Ryou said, after a moment of silence. Mokuba glanced at him curiously. "He must have had a vision or something, and thought it was real."

Mokuba looked thoughtful for a moment, before his face reverted to its dreamy, distant expression as he gazed upwards at the sky.

"Seto..." he murmured.

* * *

"Malik, I think you deserve a thank you," Ryou commented, as he, Malik and Mokuba walked back towards the Dark Palace. "I can't believe you stole the Tauk..."

"It's not nice to steal things," Mokuba murmured, absently. His two companions took a momentary glance at him, but he had clearly drifted off into a happy daydream again.

"Well, I had to do something," Malik replied. "I couldn't just carry on the way I was, that wouldn't help at all."

"No, I suppose not."

For a moment there was no sound other than the footsteps of Malik and Mokuba. However, it was a meaningful silence, somehow making it easy to assume what was meant to be said.

"Are you worried?" Ryou asked, eventually.

"About what?"

"If my yami finds out..."

"If he does, I'll deal with it," Malik sighed. "I don't know... he'll either banish me or kill me, but to be honest... I don't really care anymore."

"I see..."

"But Ryou..."

"What?"

"Will you promise me something?"

Ryou watched the ground pass under his feet before answering. "Tell me what it is first," he said.

"If anything happens to me, will you try to restore Isis' soul?"

Ryou paused in his steps. Malik turned to face him, and found the spirit's eyes gazing sincerely into his own. "Of course I will. Even if nothing happens to you, I'll try my hardest to help you bring her back."

"Thank you."

The rest of the journey progressed without discussion, the only sounds being footsteps and Mokuba's humming.

This area of the slums, so close to the palace, was usually abandoned. Most of the buildings before Bakura had summoned monsters from the Shadow Realm to destroy the city were still standing, although they were severely damaged. There was a heavy risk of collapse at any time.

It made the palace slightly more difficult to see, although they knew the way. Finally, not long after the remains of the KaibaCorp Headquarters came into view, Ryou stopped.

"I should take Mokuba back to the surgery," he explained. "I don't think my yami would appreciate him following me, especially since he has the Tauk."

"It's alright."

"I'll probably stay there, in case Mokuba wants to follow me..." Ryou added. "I'll see you around, Malik."

"See you later, then," Malik responded, nodding. "Bye."

"Bye. Come on, Mokuba."

For a moment, Malik watched Ryou and Mokuba head off in the other direction, before continuing his journey back home, hoping that Bakura's bad mood had worn off already.

It wasn't far to the palace, Malik thought. The journey wouldn't take long. But his discussion with Ryou had caused an uncomfortable, nervous feeling to bubble up in his stomach. What if Bakura did find out? What if he already had?

He was glad Ryou had agreed to try to help Isis if anything happened to him. Because now that he had stolen the Tauk, Bakura was bound to find out. He was dead already.

And when, after entering the palace, he was seized by the wrist, whirled around and slammed into the wall, he was not surprised to hear Bakura's voice whisper dangerously into his ear...

"You just made the most costly mistake of your pathetic little life."

* * *

**END OF PART 3**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

NOTES: And... this is it. There were a further two chapters completed after this one, however it would appear that the Internet has eaten them. Not a lot happened in them anyway - Jounouchi-tachi hated on Malik some more, and Ryou went off to pester Yami no Bakura, and Mokuba was still a crazy stalker. Now, however, I shall rewrite this thingamawhatsit!

* * *

**MIND AND CONSCIENCE  
LOGO AND PENFREAK**

* * *

Bakura gripped Malik's wrist tightly, his fingernails digging into the skin. Growling, he bit Malik's neck sharply, hungrily lapping at the crimson blood.

Malik was frozen with fear. The only sound escaping him was that of his gentle yet understandably quickened breath. After a moment, Yami no Bakura pulled back, keeping a firm grip on the Egyptian's wrist.

"Bastard," he hissed.

Malik swallowed, and his body tensed up, prepared for the blow that was inevitable.

But Bakura didn't strike. Malik's wrist was twisted into an even more uncomfortable position, as Bakura's grip tightened. Malik could feel his anger.

"You honestly thought I wouldn't notice?" Bakura nearly screamed. "You thief! Bastard! How DARE you?!" Leaning closer to his victim, he whispered into his ear again. "So, Ishtar, what the FUCK got into your head? What made you even THINK I wouldn't notice?"

Malik, pressed against the wall and unable to see Bakura, shuddered. Nothing could save him, and even if he was lucky enough to escape, Bakura would just hunt him down.

"I didn't think that," he replied, his tone dull and flat with resignation. "I knew you would find out. I didn't know how long it would take, but I knew you would."

"And I assume you know what's going to happen to you now?" It was that dangerously soft voice again.

"Of course," Malik responded. "But you know what? I don't care. You're a traitor, a fucking traitor, and my death, banishment or whatever will be on YOUR hands."

There was silence for a moment.

"Me a traitor?!" Bakura cried, releasing Malik's wrist and allowing the Egyptian to turn around and face him. For the first time since his arrival, Malik was able to see the Millennium Rod that Bakura was holding. Normally, the only items Bakura carried with him were the Ring and Puzzle; the others remained in what had become his bedroom, protected by a barrier of shadow magic.

"Yes, you are a traitor," Malik said, his voice steady, although he eyed the Rod anxiously. The item had once been his, and he knew very well that the shaft concealed a dagger.

"And what, exactly, have I betrayed?" Bakura inquired, lightly, despite the threat his tone still carried. "Unless I am very much mistaken, I am not the one who has stolen one of the most valuable possessions of someone who trusted him."

Malik felt a flash of guilt, but it was only momentary. The emotion gave way to what was indeniably anger, anger of being pushed aside for preference of a lump of cold metal.

"TRUST GOES FURTHER THAN POSSESSIONS, BAKURA!" he found himself yelling, as the rage exploded uncontrollably in his mind. "Those... those THINGS are destroying everything! You ARE a fucking traitor! You've betrayed the world, me, and even YOURSELF! ALL OVER SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO! I couldn't just stand by and let you destroy yourself for no reason! I can't take it!"

Bakura just stared at him as he caught his breath, taking in the fact the Malik was trembling. But he wasn't trembling with fear, it was rage.

Malik glared at him again. An unidentifiable emotion flickered on the Pharaoh's face, before he sneered.

"You're pathetic. Imagine that. You think I'm hurting myself. Well..."

"I don't think," Malik snapped, interrupting. "I know."

"Well then, isn't it strange that I was perfectly happy until YOU went and stole from me? I had everything I ever wanted! It was you who followed me the whole time, you who joined me to defeat the Pharaoh and his little brat Yuugi, you who I thought was the most loyal, and you who BETRAYED me! Of course, you're going to pay..." he gripped the Rod, and unsheathed the hidden blade, allowing the golden scabbard to clatter to the tiled floor and roll to his feet.

Malik glanced at the blade, successfully hiding even the slightest fear, before raising his eyes to meet Bakura's.

"I helped you because I loved you," he said, voice low and steady. "If you really want to kill me, go right ahead, it'll only prove..."

The blow he received then was unexpected. Although it was not a powerful blow, it was enough to break the eye contact, as Bakura probably intended. Bakura seized a handful of Malik's long, pale blond hair, and used it to pin Malik back against the wall.

Malik couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut and hiss inwardly from the pain of the cold metal biting into his face. Bakura was so close to him he could feel the warmth of his breath on his face.

He had expected Bakura to just kill him and get it over with, but he had clearly been wrong. The blade of the Rod was pressed painfully to the bridge of his nose, and dragged across his cheek. It wasn't until Bakura repeated the movement that Malik realised that he was carving the Eye that decorated the Millennium Items into his skin, like a mark of ownership.

"Are you going to open your eyes?" Bakura demanded. "Open them!" He released Malik's hair and hit him hard with a cupped hand.

Startled by the blow, Malik was unable to prevent his eyes fom flying open. Bakura smirked with satisfaction, and gripped Malik's arm tightly. He lifted the dagger for Malik to see, with the blood from his cheek glistening at the tip, before pressing its point to Malik's chest.

And it was only now that the reality of it crashed down on him. This was really it. A dead end.

No turning back, no trying to make amends. He would be gone forever. He had barely even thought of it, but now it was happening, and it was far too soon for him.

Malik's whole body tensed up, too tense to tremble with the fear as he closed his eyes once more, all the courage he had shown up to now abandoning him. He was completely unable to prevent the whimper escaping his throat.

"You really are pitiful," Bakura's voice growled. Malik had barely heard him - the fear had such an effect as to make everything seem as if it were in a dream.

However, the pressure the blade was exerting on his chest lifted, and Malik heard the sound of metal striking the floor.

Cautiously, Malik opened one eye, to find Bakura glaring at him. The hand that had held the dagger before Bakura allowed it to fall moved to grip Malik's free arm.

"Wha...?"

Bakura moved foward to kiss Malik roughly, still pushing him up against the wall.

"You are the luckiest bastard alive," Bakura growled into his mouth, before pulling away, biting Malik's lip sharply, drawing blood.

Malik's eyes widened in astonishment, as he realised... Bakura wouldn't kill him, no matter how furious he was.

"You... you're letting me...?"

"Shut the fuck up, Ishtar!" Bakura yelled, the grip he still had on Malik's arms tightening. He pulled the blond away from the wall, before throwing him against it.

Malik's head hit the stone hard, causing the Egyptian to see lights flash before his eyes, as Bakura delivered a swift kick to his stomach. As Malik collapsed to the ground in pain, Bakura turned and started to walk away.

"I advise you to run," he stated. "And I guarantee that the next time I even catch sight of you, you won't be so lucky." He bent down and picked up the Rod and the scabbard, once again sheathing the dagger. "Well?"

Malik didn't reply. He scrambled out of the palace hall, struggling to stand and run. The shock from being thrown into the wall had rendered him dizzy and faint, and every movement caused the flashing lights to return.

He tried to run, but it was difficult. The bruises from the fight with Jounouchi, in addition to the dizziness from shock, were what made it so.

However, before he even got far from the palace, he tripped. A pair of strong arms caught him before he hit the ground. Malik tried to see who had caught him, but was only able to see wild, blond hair, before the shock finally fully caught up with him and he blacked out in Jounouchi's arms.

* * *

Bakura watched Malik's 'escape' from the high window of his bedroom, as Jounouchi attempted to carry him on his back, with the spirit of Bakura's host gesturing frantically, clearly panicked.

The Pharaoh had no idea how to react. He had no idea why he had even allowed Malik to leave.

Whirling around, Bakura threw himself onto his mattress, and seized the pillow. "WHY DID I LET HIM GO?!" he shouted, voice muffled by the pillow he now held against his face. "I... he fucking stole from me! He's just another one, another fucking traitor! He was supposed to be loyal, he was supposed to obey me! I should've killed him so why COULDN'T I?! I..." he thrust the pillow back onto the bed and cried out in fury.

Then he was quiet, breathing erratically, his fingers running over the eye on the Millennium Puzzle.

"He's gone..." he murmured. "I am... I am such an idiot."

He reached for the pillow again and pulled it to his chest.

"And he was fucking right."

* * *

**END OF PART 4**

* * *


End file.
